TALLAHASSEE, FL -- State officials say there are about 1,000 Internet sweepstakes cafés in Florida, and most of them are owned and operated by McDonald's and Coca-Cola Co., according to Watchdog.org, a pool of independent journalists supported by the Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity.

In a report published by Marianel Toledo on Jan. 5, law professor Robert Jarvis of Nova Southeastern University Law Center, who specializes in gambling legislation, predicted: "We will see an expansion of Internet sweepstakes parlors in Florida this year." | SEE STORY

Several Florida lawmakers have repeatedly attempted to pass a ban on sweepstakes videogames. That effort so far has been unsuccessful. | SEE BILL TRACKER